Improvement in grain-separators



A. J. HUMPHREYSQ 2Sheets-Sheet1.

Grain-Separators.

No.v 208.175. Patented Sept. 17. 1878.

- ATTORNEYS,

N. FETF RS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D Q 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 I A.J. HUMPHREYS. I Grain-Separators.

No. 208,I?5.. Patented Sept. 17.1878.

WITNESSES Qua NV NTQR,

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PETERS. PHOTO-LITHDGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

ANDREW J. HUMPHREYS, OF GAP MILLS, WEST VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT I N GRAlN-SEPARATORSr Specification forming part of LettersPatent No. 208,175, dated September 17, 1878;

application filed July 6,1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ANDREW J. HUMPHREYS, of Gap Mills, in the county ofMonroe and State of Vest Virginia, have invented a new and valuableImprovement in Fanning-Mills; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the construction andoperation of the same, reference being had to the annexeddrawings,making a part of this specification, and to the letters andfigures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a side elevation of myfanning-mill. Fig. 2 is an end view, and Fig. 3 is a vertical centralsection, of the same.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangementof 1 a fanningmill, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. Theannexed drawings, to which reference is made, fully illustrate myinvention.

A represents the frame-work of my fanningmill, provided at the top witha hopper, B, having a slide, G, for regulating the feed. Below ""thehopper B, within the frame, is the riddlebO XlD WiflfSCffiS E E,constructed and aryvranged in any of the known and usual ways.

The riddle-box D is suspended by means of side springs F F, so arrangedthat the box will have a longitudinal shaking movement instead of asidemovement.

In my fanning-mill I use two fans, G and G, the upper fan, G, beinglarger than the other. The objectof the upper or large fan, G, is toblow out the light dirt, such as chaff and dust, and to blow just hardenough to do so without blo wing any grain over. This fan blowsthroughthe riddles E, and then the grain falls from the riddles down into thedraft of the small fan, G, which is very swift, but blowing upward, and,the grain being partly clean, it can receive a swift draft without beingblown over, and yet is separated from the small heavy dirt.

One large fan only will blow some grain over in the chaff, and then,when the grain is screened, it passes out without coming in contact witha finishing or second draft. This is obviated by using two fans, asdescribed.

The advantages of arranging the riddle-box so as to have an end shakeinstead of a side shake are that the frame of the machine need not bewider than the riddle-box, which it must the riddle-box, is placed arocking shaft, 0, hav- 7 ing an arm, f, extending upward at one end, andto this arm the pitman b is connected 5 and this end of the pitman canbe adjusted up and down on the arm f, so as to give a longer or shorterstroke, as required. In the center of the rocking shaft 0 is an arm, h,extending downward, and this arm is coupled to the center of the shakeror riddle-box D. n

It will be seen that the pitman and the riddle-box always work inopposite directionsthat is, alternately meeting and separatingwhichbalances the jolt to a great extent.

1f double boxes are required, the rocking shaft e can have a cross-piecein the center and each end coupled to its respective box, thus enablingone pitman on the outside to work double boxes, as well as only one.

The grain passes off the screen-riddle at the end next to the fan, andfalls on the incline H just over the small fan G, and then falls intothe main spout I. As the grain falls from H to I it receives the seconddraft, which takes out all small heavy dirt except the large heavycoeklebut such as rotten grain,rat-litter, light cockle, cheat, smut, &c., areblown up through the main spout, and fall into the waste-box J, thelightest portion passing out at K. All the heads of wheat and stuff thatshake off at the mouth of the riddle-box fall down on an incline, M,which conducts them through the draft of the small fan into thewaste-box J, and all the dust and light stuff that are worthless areblown outside. The good grain passes on down the main spout under thesmall fan and falls on the floor.

When it is desired to get every grain of cockle out of seed-wheat, thelid L of the waste-box may be raised and the upper half, I, of thebottom of the main spout drawn up two or three inches to form an openingat i, which will let the wheat fall through on an endless-clothCockle-screen, N, placed around rollers O O, as shown. The wheat fallsoff on the incline 1?, under the lower roller, and then on the floor,while the cockle sticks into the cloth N, being pressed into the same bya roller, 0, until it is scraped off by a scraper, 1t, on the under sidenear the upper roller, and the cloth comes back clean of cockle as itreceives the wheat. The cockle falls down on the floor under thescraper.

The machine is driven by a crank, S, on the end of a shaft, on, or byany means for rotating said shaft. 011 the shaft m is a cog-wheel, T,which meshes with a pinion, (Z, on the journal ot'the upper fan, G. Apulley, p, on the shaft m is,by a crossed belt, 1*, connected with apulley, s, on the journal of the lower roller, 0, of the cockle-apron. Apulley 0n the opposite j ourn al of the upper fan is, by a belt, 15,connected with a pulley on the journal of the lower fan, and thus allthe moving parts of the mill obtain their motion from the shaft m.

When the cockle-separating mechanism is not needed, the belt r can betaken off; also, when the second-draft or small fan is not needed, thebelt t can be taken on Both of these are of great advantage in cleaningany 2. The combination of the endless apron N,

passing around the rollers O O, the pressureroller 0, and scraper R, allsubstantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a grain-separator, the combination of the main spout I, havingslide I and opening 2', with the endless apron N and roller 0,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW JACKSON HUMPHREYS.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. RUDDELL, S. RICHARD Wn'rrs.

